TeamBirth will move us closer to that goal by fostering teamwork and communication among physicians, nurses, staff, and the person giving birth so that our patients feel heard and supported from the moment they walk into the hospital.
Ella A. Damiano, MDThis month, Dartmouth Health will officially implement TeamBirth at its member hospitals with labor and delivery services. This patient-centered care model, which supports open communication among patients, their support people, and clinicians during childbirth, rolled out at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) on March 4, with Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) and Cheshire Medical Center to follow later in March.
Developed by Ariadne Labs, the TeamBirth model empowers patients to take an active role in their care throughout their stay for labor, delivery and recovery. A Joint Commission study found that failures in communication between providers and between providers and patients account for up to 90% of preventable injuries during childbirth. This coincides with a rising U.S. maternal mortality rate in recent decades: women giving birth today are 50% more likely to die during childbirth than their own mothers, with these rates being at least three times higher among Black and Indigenous women.
“At Dartmouth Health, we want all people giving birth and the clinicians who care for them to feel empowered to participate in decisions made during labor and delivery,” said DHMC obstetrician-gynecologist Ella A. Damiano, MD. “TeamBirth will move us closer to that goal by fostering teamwork and communication among physicians, nurses, staff, and the person giving birth so that our patients feel heard and supported from the moment they walk into the hospital.”
DHMC, SVMC and Cheshire join nearly 300 other hospitals and birth facilities nationwide who have adopted TeamBirth. In one trial of the care model, 90% of clinicians said they would recommend TeamBirth, and 96% of patients said their preferences made a difference in the care they received.
“All people who give birth deserve to have a safe, dignified experience,” said Amber Weiseth, DNP, MSN, RNC-OB, director of TeamBirth at Ariadne Labs. “TeamBirth is an evidence-based approach to turn this vision into a reality.”
Learn more about TeamBirth at ariadnelabs.org/delivery-decisions-initiative/teambirth.
About Cheshire Medical Center
Cheshire Medical Center (Cheshire) is a Dartmouth Health member providing the communities in the Greater Monadnock Region a continuum of care spanning primary care and specialty medicine, to surgical services and acute inpatient care. For more than 130 years, Cheshire has been a key contributor to the health and vitality of the Monadnock Region. As a not-for-profit community medical center, Cheshire is deeply committed to delivering excellent care in a safe and welcoming environment. Cheshire is dedicated to being a great neighbor and serves as an integral community resource. Cheshire is the area's largest healthcare provider and leading employer. Along with the services delivered on their Keene campus and satellite locations, the Medical Center partners with local organizations to provide vital services and programs throughout the region. To learn more, call 603-354-5400 or visit the Cheshire Medical Center website.
About Dartmouth Health
Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire’s only academic health system and the state’s largest private employer, serves patients across northern New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,000 providers in almost every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH, as well as across its wide network of hospitals, clinics and care facilities. DHMC is consistently named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and is recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, one of only 57 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the nation, and the only such center in northern New England; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes the state’s only children’s hospital and multiple locations around the region; member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, Claremont and New London, NH, and Windsor and Bennington, VT; Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire; and more than 24 clinics that provide ambulatory and specialty services across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its historical partnership with Dartmouth and the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually, and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials recognized across the globe with Geisel and the White River Junction VA Medical Center in White River Junction, VT. Dartmouth Health and its more than 13,000 employees are deeply committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in our communities, and to providing each of our patients with exceptional, personal care.